


blossom through eternity

by HomesickAlien



Category: Dragon Quest XI
Genre: M/M, spoilers for the true end but not really, the name is a spoiler so i’ll explain in the notes just be careful, this started as I Want Them To Cuddle and ended as I Want Them To Propose lol
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-24
Updated: 2020-05-24
Packaged: 2021-03-03 05:55:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,264
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24346117
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HomesickAlien/pseuds/HomesickAlien
Summary: Eleven loves to bask in its light, the light of Yggdrasil that reflects the back of his hand. His eternal connection to thetree of lifereminding him of his purpose, even as it has been fulfilled.Somehow, as always, that same hand finds its way into Erik’s own. Fitting perfectly into the palm of him, it’s as though they were meant to be as one. Even as it’s been earned by time spent together, after a long journey it almost feels like destiny running its course. And what a wonderful fantasy that is, if he doesn’t say a word, this moment will burn eternally beneath the embrace of all life, of all Yggdrasil’s holy light, shining down the wash of Her approval over them.
Relationships: Camus | Erik/Hero | Luminary (Dragon Quest XI), Hero | Luminary & Yggdrasil (Dragon Quest XI)
Comments: 7
Kudos: 22





	blossom through eternity

**Author's Note:**

> IS yggdragon a spoiler its in the opening cutscene of the game but does that tiny transition to the title mean everyone will connect the dots that yggdrasil = dragon ... whatever i used That Name for the Hero too and That Is a Spoiler so im letting it be. Anyway, yes, that’s what I wrote, although it’s really not in line with any Particular Aspect of the true ending, I Just Like Dragons. 
> 
> Every once in a while, I see arts of [11 and Yggdragon](https://twitter.com/minattyo/status/983784384737112065), it makes my heart feel full so I wanted to write such a thing... It has nothing to do with anything so please expect nothing. I Just Like Dragons. I like the idea of cuddling next to my god dragon. That’s all lol

The hero boy stands tall atop the dragon’s head, just about high enough to touch the clouds above. Few as they are, in the clear blue sky, it’s the perfect kind of spring day, one where you could make stories of the shapes that slowly waltz above. He has his own daydreams he loses his sense to, forgetting where he is so deep in his thoughts, they pervade and pass without any condolences. Simple, yet overprocessed. Small, yet overwhelming. Insignificant, yet all-encompassing.

Just as is the curse of humans. Although there are times he wonders if he really counts for one, after all that’s passed he’s still just a boy after all.

Immature, and sometimes self-centered— A Prince or a Hero, those titles are too much to bear. Back home in Cobblestone, he’s just _Eleven_ after all. The son of Amber, childhood friend of Gemma, and a terrible troublemaker to boot. He’s at least grown out of that phase, he thinks, but parents never forget their children's rotten days.

It leaves a soft smile on his face.

The dragon can sense his feelings pulse through the scar on the back of his hand. They share a unique connection; When he’d said he is the _child of Amber,_ it’s a bit understated, he’s got a touch too many guardians to count. But, the most heavy of all is the title of _Yggdrasil’s favorite._ God’s most precious child. He isn’t exactly a child anymore, he grumbles about this often, but even the dragon watches over him fondly in this way. 

Their hearts are all like one, beating together through the roots of the Earth, all for which lead to and return to Yggdrasil. Even in their differences, they all come and fall from the same tree…

He, too, is just another leaf off Yggdrasil’s tree. When his time comes, no matter how the memory is paved, he’ll always be no better than any human who’s walked the long journey through life. As a child, the image of becoming a cool, unwavering hero is the dream of all young boys and girls, but now he’d quite like to enjoy his days as mundanely as possible.

_You think too much…_

The dragon seems to agree with that will, a hot breath huffed through her nostrils. His face is full of kindness, sitting himself down to run his hand over her head. _Large._ This dragon holds the world deep within her breast, though on Erdrea’s soil she takes a smaller form, it’s still perhaps _one billion times bigger than my small body._ He laughs at the thought, but it’s true, he’s just a touch taller than the horn that decorates the tip of her snout. Such is the nature of life, he harbors only a fraction of God’s will in his hand, compared to her, he still has a long way to go.

Maybe someday, in the hole that marks what’s gone missing in his chest, a seed of the _tree of life_ will bloom. Eventually there will come a day when he, too, becomes God’s flesh.

_I know, I know— I think too much._

It’s hard not to, for a boy who never speaks.

“Ah,” he sighs, falling on his back to lay over the dragon’s muzzle. The sun is so warm, beating down on his soft face, his thin hair becoming a transparent veil decorating her golden scales. It’s a beautiful morning, but he’s no one to share it with but her…

This place, it’s a bit of a ways outside his home village, to contain her elegance of course, but he’d like to hear those ambient noises once more— of kids playing by the riverbend, their splashing footsteps and heavy waterfalls, of a dog barking and birds chirping their pleasant morning hymns. 

Or even, something much smaller than that. The hissing and crackling of a campfires flame, armor scratching against itself, the soft murmurs of sleep dissipating in the evening with its smoke. What a nostalgic memory, he groans, it’s been such a long time since the lot of them have all communed as one together.

Though he keeps up with them all individually, there’s too much to do and so much to say for all of them to meet once more. He hasn’t the excuse to force them all to travel such a distance, but he does his best to visit at least once every year. His sister is the easiest to come by, not too far from home, as is Hendrik at her side. And when he can, it’s a nice treat to come and see one of Sylvia’s shows, never failing to succeed in their will to bring a smile to everyone’s face no matter the burdens on those people’s shoulders. It always works for the Hero, and often the words they leave him with clear his mind of all his self-inflicted doubts. 

The twins oft meet him in the middle, wanting to see him as much as he enjoys hearing from them. Their journey is the longest, after all, but most nostalgic to get to walk the path to the _world’s end_ together once more. They see in him far too much, but as the days go by, he’s also beginning to see the light bloom through his sternum. He’s made many mistakes, as humans do, but the peace before them now is proof their efforts were never in vain in spite of failure. 

His grandfather is still the same, but now that time has slowed back to its routine, he can relay back the history of a family he’s never been blessed the chance to meet. Though his mother will always be Amber, and his home always Cobblestone, there are times when he watches the stars pass through the sky for which he thinks, only for a moment, that he can feel the pride of the ones he’s lost shower him with grace. It relieves the precarious grief for those unknown to him, a love he can’t feel beyond the memory of another…

 _Ah,_ though it’s pleasant to reminisce, it only leaves him yearning further. Despite his best efforts, it’s Erik that’s the hardest to reconvene with. Not because the two of them don’t long for it, it’s quite the opposite. When he hears from time-to-time from his little sister, it seems the blame is all pinned on Erik, but in truth they share a common ailment. Of shyness, of embarrassment, of misplaced feelings that are mending themselves through distance. Love isn’t enough to sustain a life alone, after all. Even if one wants it most, they’ll always have some growing up to do. After everything they’ve been through…

Who can say the whereabouts of a feeling when your life is constantly hanging in balance, after all. Though for everyone around them, their mutual attraction comes off so apparent, it would be selfish to confess too irrationally. And so, no one says a word, and it wavers off forgotten as time continues to pass them by. 

Dragons aren’t so in tune to these nuances, these subtleties of humans. Though she loves all her children dearly, she can’t understand how it is they walk through this mortal life. That is what makes them so precious, after all. That is why she gives them their free will. 

But it leaves a little crudeness in the mind they share— _Say it honestly. Say how you feel, even just to the wind…—_ He never does.

But someday, maybe. Even if they aren’t together, he likes to think someday their lives will naturally intersect once more. He’s all grown now, and still an endearing part of him fantasizes about it every so often. About what it would be like to be married, and live as one in a small house where he grew up, living domestically a peaceful life growing old together. _That wouldn’t do._ They both have wanderlust in their heart, but the image is nice enough. 

A big, boisterous celebration, and an excuse for all their friends and family to come together again… They certainly aren’t getting any younger, to keep wading through this desire. Though the Hero is patient, he’s also a bit selfish— _How long until the time is right?_ It couldn’t come any faster if one asked him.

Speaking of the devil… 

He wonders briefly if it’s the blood rushing to his head as he dangled lithe atop the dragon, so he rolls over unto his abdomen for a clearer view. Though high above the clouds and his head just as dizzy, the Hero could tell his partner apart from anywhere, from any time, even. That’s him, alright, with such a smug kind of face that always betrays his fragile personality. The hero’s heart pounds with anticipation, he forces the smile tempting to devour his face down his throat. He really could jump right off, embrace his friend after such a long time spent apart, and to be frank he’d probably survive it by Her grace, but…

“Ｅｒｉｋ…！！”

He contains himself, patting at her rugged scales, she could just as easily swallow him whole.

She gives him a stern kind of look, a bit too uncannily akin to his mother, but she follows his lead. Lowering her head to embrace the Earth once more. “Erik!!” He waves, his voice much more audible, enough to catch his attention at least. It’s like watching a stubborn puppy wag his tail.

Erik gives him a gentle smile and formal acknowledgement, “It’s been a long time, hasn’t it? Did you miss me?”

“Not even a little bit!”

“You’re still acting all spoiled like that? Keep getting taller but you haven’t changed a bit!”

Erik beats his knuckle against the Hero’s chest, all smiles and the nostalgic warmth that comes with it. It’s difficult to maintain the act, Eleven chortles as he holds his hand over Erik’s. The Hero knows best that the distance bore of time is actually quite negligible. And, in a million worlds, over a billion years, though a trillion stars crossed, Erik, too, is still Erik, after all. 

Still kindhearted, and so tender to the touch, washing over forgiveness in his presence alone. Even if their lives are no longer on the line, the Hero is certain he can live through anything so long as Erik is by his side.

… He briefly wonders if that counts as a proposal. In their shared thoughts, the dragon snorts, her heavy breath enough to start up a sandstorm— _Hey, come on, watch it!—_ Erik holds his arm over his head, coughing out a laugh to himself, and the Hero, likewise, lets go of all his needless worries. 

“I’m glad you’re doing well.”

The Hero’s light shines through his smile. His voice, so truly serene, reverberated through the will of the _Holy Dragon._

They discuss many things, amidst such an average afternoon. The scent of spring fills the air in dew drops and flowers. It’s much easier to enjoy it now, without the threat of monsters to haphazardly ruin the moment, not to mention the protective veil a dragon leering over two humans brings. They sit with their backs to her, leaned against the dragon just as one would do a tree, and he supposes that’s to be expected. Still… 

Curled up around the two of them, she’s quite overbearing. Something akin to a large cat, with eyes closed and steady breaths, though she never actually sleeps. She is also a comforting presence, one Eleven loves to bask in; The light of the _Holy Dragon_ brings comfort to the scar upon his hand. It reminds him of his purpose, even long after it’s been fulfilled.

Somehow, without thinking, that very hand falls into Erik’s own. It fits perfectly into his palm, as though it were _destiny_ that they would come together. Erik likes to believe in that, whether he says it or not, and he doesn’t, of course. At least, not so directly, not in a way that might be misconstrued. He’s bashful, and his play at being coy could only last as long as his inhibitions were set. Secretly, Eleven misses his _lack-there-of,_ but he, too, maintains the silence between them. Why, he’s quite good at it too, if he says so himself; Only voicing the necessities. 

Even without, Eleven can feel it. The pulse of relief, of happiness, flowing through the veins of Erik’s wrist where they touch. Such is a romantic scene, meeting at the roots where all life begins; Yggdrasil washes her approval over the two of them, bringing a solitary peace she prays may last eternal.

Even if she knows it’s not to be, just as her children, she is also a flawed existence.

Their impassive drivel slowly begins to fade into unsung murmurs, and Eleven begins to lose track of his thoughts with each skipped word. It’s all too easy for heavy eyes to fall just like this. Despite himself, when Eleven rests his head against Erik’s shoulder, it’s difficult not to think fondly of him, the way one might a puppy. Exactly in that way, actually— The hero does have an affinity for animals, petting the heads of every one they’d passed on their journey regardless of species. And Erik shares an affinity for cute things. He lets his hand get lost in the Hero’s hair, getting longer each day and still so thin and soft.

The Hero’s eyes open, his solemn look hidden in the crook of his partner’s neck. The desire to become as one, and meld right into one another as a single soul once again… 

It’s too strange of him to voice, and still he does. _We could be as one someday._ Whispers threaten the flesh, it’s dangerous to evoke God’s will so casually, but right before Her Grace, it would be a greater sin not to. 

If you can flee without worry, it’s fine to say whatever you like, but by the mighty walls of Yggdrasil, there’s no escaping this moment. And in a sense, it is also as though these words can only exist in this moment; That when the Yggdragon takes her leave, and the two part ways once more, the memory will be forgotten with her.

Though, perhaps Erik’s done enough forgetting for one lifetime.

He pulls the Hero by the wrist, into his loving embrace that he could rest his head awkwardly over Erik’s chest. While time seems immobile, the sun is already setting, and somehow it’s like, there wasn’t any catching up at all for them to do. Surely, the tales of his settled down friend in Heliodor are oft not too engaging, and the antics of his sister are more a nuisance to him than a tale worth sharing, the Hero is much the same. Cobblestone seldom moves forward, and any thoughts worth sharing far too often require actually being there. _I’d like it if you were there,_ the Hero eats that thought right up.

And despite it all, they’d filled a day with such simple moments that define life. Erik leans back to witness the brilliant colors of evening before the darkness of the night spills the canvas. The soft gurgles of the vessel’s insides lull in Eleven’s ears, with Erik’s hand running mindlessly over his back, he really does begin to drift asleep. 

Becoming one with the God that watches benevolently over all their kin, this killing sentiment of love expresses itself without words; A secret method of communication the Hero’s long mastered in his youth. What’s left is a unique scene only for their eyes, alone. 

That is the difference, between those who see the obvious, and the two of them forced to experience its tension.

Humans are fickle creatures, always stumbling through their intimate feelings and so incapable of being honest. Erik is just as guilty of it, where the Hero has grown so comfortably open with him, Erik can only choke on it. Even just once, he’d like to be vulnerable without fear. All he can do is whisper his prayer before Yggdrasil, to say the words he wants desperately to hear; _I like you._ I love you.

As much as he can serve to take, so much so that he understands why the Hero feels words hold such little meaning— These hands are enough.

The dragon curls her body ever tighter around the two, the thin end of her tail waving slightly with the breeze. This is her protective embrace, her blessing of a love that could last forever, with hard work and dedication… She’s still learning, from this boy, too. Her faith in her choice to share a life with this hero boy never disappointing, she wants to share in this warm light spreading through Erdrea reborn anew. 

It is only natural for humans to fill the hole of what they lack in one another. Even if they think they’ve come close to finding it, in truth there’s no such thing as _soul mates_ in this life, but for all their shortcomings, humans find the best in one another. The _good_ to their _evils,_ the _light_ to their _darkness._ But these two are both two good people, two lights in the darkest of rooms, yet…

If only it is the Hero, the _Yggdragon,_ looking at their own reflection… He is also full of fear, and doubt, and innate failure. Even older, even wiser, he’s still so weak... Still.

All that they have, all that they’ve ever had, is the strength to rely on eachother.

And though _true love conquers all,_ is nice enough an anecdote for a child’s fairytale, the Hero has come to understand many forms of love on his journey. The love between siblings, the love that comes from regret, from the will to never recreate the same mistakes, from growth and from friends and from _partners_ under any other word. Love is a gift of humans that saves the soul. 

Before such an arrogant confession, Yggdrasil is certain; Certain this world is safe, in _Erdrick’s_ hands.

Morning comes unceremoniously, with the sun in the Hero’s eyes, and only the imprint of a warm presence pressed into his skin. He wakes with his back to the dragon, and paling skies that even still it feels they’d spent a day in another Universe. A pleasant one, broken only by the heavy sound of shoes digging into the dirt road not far behind them. 

“Hey. You’re leaving?”

Would be nice, if the Hero just called his name, Erik thinks, instead of chucking pebbles at his back for attention. He turns to face him rather grumpily, exaggerating the motions either to express the feeling or elongate the momentary time spent together. 

“That’s right. I got business to attend to. Is there a problem with that?”

“You don’t want to attend to it together?”

The dragon groans for the Hero, watching him fumble awkwardly to stand on his two wobble feet, numbing from the excess of sleep. Even his arms are still in the position of dreams, only barely holding him up pressed to the dragon’s rugged scaled flesh wall. She’s barely even sat up in her place; Her movements are enough to cause quakes in the ground, _hey, maybe next time you could take a more humbling form?_ He complains all the time, but he prefers her like this, too. 

Just as magnificent, and beautiful as the _World Tree._ He loves her, too. 

“Say, Erik…” the Hero approaches him, waltzing and fumbling as his hand leaves Yggdragon’s guidance. For a moment, he’s but a bird who’s finally flew the nest, alone with only his convictions to spare him.

“I’m going to get married.”

“Oho,” Erik chuckles, his hands on his hip as he looks over his unkempt and unsightly Hero with such grandiose declarations that seem pretty run-of-the-mill now. “Who’s the lucky bride to be.”

“................................A spoiled princess, the kind that’s real airheaded.” 

That face suits the Hero best; All world weary and bitterly self aware. He’s just like Her.

“S’that right? Say, I think I know a guy like that. In fact, I’m looking right at him!”

“You think I’m…?!” 

For just a moment, the Hero considers taking up the sword again, a noncommittal threat, but he’s pretty sure he had a point to make. Some conversations come easier in the way you planned them in your head _without_ the other party in mind. Sometimes, he wishes everyone would read his script.

Maybe he shouldn’t write them all so out of character. He breathes out a sigh.

“We’re talking about _my_ future lover here, you know?”

“Yeah, that’s right. Should I start begging Yggdrasil for her blessings, then?”

 _That is truly unnecessary._ She’d be happy for them to just spit it out, already. Humans are so strange, even by her holy protection, they make their own problems, somehow. 

“I think you should worry about my actual mom first.”

“ _Heheh,_ the Luminary’s husband… Wonder if I’m worthy of a title like that.”

“I’m nothing special either, you know. Besides, we’re already… Partners, aren’t we.”

Somehow, that word is so much more embarrassing, now. Even though, it wasn’t ever intended for romantics or anything, in fact it’s a fitting title for a thief and the _partner in crime,_ but…

His face is really hot, somehow. Even when his expression is too stern.

“I just want to make Erik happy.”

The hero has forgoed selfish desire too long, in the name of _saving the world._ He’s given up too much, in fact, and still he feigns self sacrifice over confessing his tactless love. Maybe, with all the growing up in the sense of _carrying the world on your back,_ he’d forgotten to learn the domestic aspects of becoming an adult.

Erik’s will flows the same.

“Yeah? I’m pretty sure I pledged my faith to the _Luminary_ first.”

“Erik…”

He hushes Eleven quickly, two fingers pressed to his lips before cupping the Hero’s face delicately. It’s actually quite uncanny, though every other part of him’s grown rugged, he’s still got this soft kind of awkward face. They contrast rather well like this, a steady flow. 

“I want to make you happy, too.”

It’s only natural, in such a picturesque moment, to lean in for a kiss. To close your coquettish eyes and let the body respond instinctively, to pull two bodies together as one…

Yeah, that’s the way it’s supposed to go, he’s sure of it. But he doesn’t remember the Hero’s face being so scaley, or his breath being so hot, or…

Or the snarl of his lips to bear such a frightening multitude of teeth. _H—Hey—_ Erik falls right over into the hard, stoney earth. The dragon brings her maw in closer, protectively pulling her gargantuas form around her little prince, the rumblings of her throat loud enough to resound several towns over. 

“Hey, hey, I thought I only had to worry about one of your moms.”

Erik holds up his hands in innocent defeat. Even though he knows the great Yggdragon wouldn’t bring harm to any of Her precious humans, it’s enough to start his heart into overdrive regardless. _Huge._ She really is overbearing. 

_Not before marriage._ Don’t sully My Child’s innocence, is it? A bit dramatic, for a man just turned twenty. 

“We should plan the wedding for as soon as possible.” 

Eleven hits his fist against the dragon’s side, pulling away from her embrace. He’s jealous, even if his face is so serious; He wants to kiss Erik more than anything. He’s held it in far too long. Now that the confession lays bare, it’s impossible to satiate his eager will.

“Aren’t you impatient. Don’t you worry, it’ll come.”

Erik says as he forces himself back up, brushing off the dirt from his clothes. What an unfortunate conclusion. The love between two people is so arbitrary, after all, but still, he feels like asking for more. It seems like that might be the end of it, that Erik would wave goodbye and they’d part ways for a short time again, but… 

“Until that day comes…”

Erik finds his way too close to the Hero’s face once again, pulling him down to his level by the back of Eleven’s head. His hand gets lost in Eleven’s disheveled hair, lips brushing against Eleven’s ears as he whispers;

“I love you, _partner_.”

Erik pulls away from him, leaving only the residual memory of touch on the luminary’s searing skin. He holds his hand over his ear, flushed, as if to capture the sensation so that it might never fade away. _Even though, if they spend the rest of their lives together, he’s sure there won’t be a lack of this feeling._ It’s been a long time coming, so long he isn’t sure how to process it when put into action.

He simply holds his breath, watching quietly as Erik walks away.

“Be good, now”

He waves to him, cheeky smile over his face, but he’s just the same shade of deep red. _Whenever the time is right..._ the day will certainly come soon. That’s a silent promise, hung thin in the air between them.

The seed of love has been planted in his chest, and perhaps one day it will blossom into the next world’s _tree of life._ Perhaps. Whatever the case, he’s only happy to have it all off his chest; each empty promise finally let go, lost with the wind.

When the time comes that they might reconvene, again…

_A big celebration, where everyone is happy, where everyone you love is together in one place…_

He looks forward to it. 

**Author's Note:**

> Please feed me any content of the dragon and eleven. I love them. I searched to see if there were any other fics but I didn’t find any... I’ll fill the hole myself. [not serious] [maybe serious ......]
> 
> Please leave comments, this is another a fine way to appease Me, who is also a Dragon God lol I really do appreciate it. ❤︎_:(´ཀ`」 ∠):
> 
> ((Small side note:  
> >”Not even a little bit!” = Yes, I DO select the No option at every opportunity. What are you gonna do, Force me into moving the plot forward?))


End file.
